SACRAMENTO: Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar) will present three measures designed to help students and families during a hearing of the Senate Education Committee next Wednesday, April 2nd. The measures introduced earlier this year by Senator Huff would accomplish the following:

SB 1082 will provide parents across the state with an easy to use online hub that will list public school options and allow parents to compare them. The new online resource will help parents find schools that fit the needs of their children, such as schools that focus on specialized areas like science, art or programs and resources for students with special needs.

“It’s surprising in this electronic era where you can find almost any resource on your home computer or smartphone that there isn’t a real place online where parents in California can get help in making education decisions that best fit their children,” said Senator Huff. “Information like this should be readily available.”

SB 1070 will allow students moving from a public charter school to a charter middle or high school, to have enrollment priority in the lottery process – as long as both charter schools are managed by the same charter operator. By giving students enrollment access to public charters under a common umbrella, SB 1070 will provide students and their families with a stable and consistent education.

Finally, SB 1266 will require public schools to stock epinephrine auto injectors on campus so critically important medicine can be administered quickly and safely if a student suffers from a serious anaphylactic allergy reaction during school hours. Current California law allows schools to stock epinephrine, but does not require it. While many California schools are already voluntarily stocking epinephrine, there is no concrete data on how many.

Recent passage of federal legislation, spelled out in HR 2094, encourages states like California to require schools to stock epinephrine auto injectors on all campuses.

“There’s no question that food allergies affecting children is on the rise, which makes the need for this medication so vitally important for so many California families,” said Senator Huff. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of U.S. children who have food allergies rose by 50 percent from 1997 to 2011. It’s estimated that anaphylaxis allergic reactions, suffered by children and adults, are responsible for 1,500 deaths a year in the United States.”

Senator Huff serves as the Senate Republican Leader and represents the 29th Senate District covering portions of Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Follow Senator Huff on Twitter at @bobhuff99.